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11/16/2011 1:29PM

As Rivals Slip, Gingrich Finds Traction

Newt Gingrich's effort to cast himself as the big thinker of the 2012 campaign appears to be paying off. While other candidates have stumbled on policy, voters in Iowa say they like Gingrich's policy smarts. Danny Yadron has details on Lunch Break.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

go ... in effect right and whole expense of his Republican presidential rivals right now in a bring and Danny undrawn he's in Washington DC and he has been with new Gingrich ... but recent days I gaining ... no one could could see you then traveling with new Gingrich it's interesting his surge in the polls right now ... if the orchestra is more I think that the new actually brighten people's opinions or simply the other contenders falling in the estimation of the people ... well I think the combination ... of others I was talking to a rise ... in the past two days on the US ... and and they're talking about you hang and Rick Perry had some slip ups time Supreme leader saying he had ... Herman Cain ... I come up with me he doesn't always know what's going on foreign policy in the Battle of welds this campaign ... now here's the late Eugene or is it nothing is known for his ability to spot up five and any topic ... that is presented to the ... answers Mr. them attractive to us even seen these people ... make mistakes you have someone he's the speaker the house ... um ... so it is is a combination of both ... did you ... hear people even those who are in some other cases critical new Gingrich say in many cases they feel like he's the smartest guy in the room often ... do you feel that this messages was resonating with voters you're talking to ... on any new Gingrich is very good at making myself sound like he's the smartest person in the room and down ... and orders so far at least Republican primary voters are really responding to this ... under the recent CNN poll where his positive for about sixty percent ... of the GOP primary electorate ... with the general with the national audience and was below forty percent ... let's look at where new has not really been tested yet and a lot of issues he said of winds up with this Republican ... rather it not in the instance of abolishing capital gains and inheritance taxes taxes ... lowering the corporate tax rate ... there are other areas though where he sort of a maverick walk us through that ... I miss the whomever does one way to put it so I mean he um ... it also you know anyone who joined by Nutrition ... a nutrition for training thing ... and he's talked about time cutting up some of the funding to the UN is talked about ... on installing this on a corporate waste training program called lean six Sigma and sell to buy he retired at Texas consultants ... and he would bring this to the federal government as a whole ... and boosting also Optimer research about which again is not something you often hear ... I sometimes from the Republican side of things ... do you think that this will make him more popular in a general election with independent voters who might want to see a little bit of a ... independent streak in there and a candidate ... I learned that some clearer NRG with a lot of people have noted about the deep brain science when he also was finding ... is that that is an issue to play very well with older voters who is you know make a large percentage of the electorate ... it does the Optimer spotting see you think that she may be one issue that will help him to stand out a gain traction weathers with Democrats or Republicans ... um ... it's not clear yet with the general action right now and we're still in the primary ... and it is an issue that is the getting in some works now ... he has been tested on a lot of things right now I mean is this tortured last night with the news and I received more than a million dollars in consulting ... I'm for Freddie Mac and and ... he is very much a part of Washington and ... voters haven't really given that awful look at ... what this person all like any how much is that it is scrutinizing be on spending perhaps of jewelry ... for his wife I think he's been married three times ... de think this is an obstacle he still has declined ... um ... yes I mean what with base voters that that is still an issue there is actually reports that on ... an Iowa social conservative who has zero fighters thing in ... duking reaches an understanding that the sanctity of marriage is because he has been married three times ... now to talk to Strategist he talked a lot of voters ... especially supporters they'll say no at ... the fir this is all in all of these new Gingrich has been through ... so the news cycle several times and nothing new here ... um but if you maintains a spot on top bulls ... on expect to see the snow brought a more ... efficient social conservatives ... but finishing watching these holes of a one week when kets on top and another one this into the